Page 126 of Yours and Mine (Friends with Benefits)

“No!” I stood up screaming, holding Mackenzie tightly against my body, away from the billowing flames. “No!”

Fire was everywhere, consuming the air I was trying to breathe, burning away my hopes and dreams. I fell to my knees as my father ran down the street. Marge was close behind him, out of breath. She froze when she saw me collapse.

“No,” I sobbed, rocking Mackenzie back and forth in my arms. Just when I thought I had them both back in my life, they were taken away from me. I looked at the horrid black smoke taking away our precious memories when a familiar silhouette broke through the grey cloud: Nick was carrying Carter’s lifeless body around the side of the house, where Carter’s garage used to be. He was still within the flames’ reach, and heat seared at them both. Nick’s body, including his face and hair, were covered in soot. His pants and shirt were burnt through in random spots, showing red gashes of burnt flesh underneath.

Someone helped him with Carter’s body, laying it in the shade.

“Honey, stay with Grandma and Grandpa. I’m going to check on Daddy and Carter.” I left Mackenzie with Marge and my father.

I dashed to Nick and Carter and when I saw them up close, I froze. Carter’s shirt was completely gone, burnt right off his body, and the left side of his torso was blistered in red, blood spewing from the skin that was nowhere to be found. Black, crispy spots dotted his face. Nick looked up at me, fear covering his eyes: a fear that he was too late.

I shook my head. Nick stood up and walked right into me. My body pressed to his and my arms would around him as I hid in his embrace, denying the possibility that I could lose Carter.

“I’m sorry, Jo. I really tried. He got trapped after he passed me Mackenzie from the attic.”

“He saved Mackenzie?”

“We wouldn’t have found her without him.”

“Is he going to… ” I couldn’t even say it without the word getting stuck in my throat full of sorrow.

“I don’t know. I don’t know.”

I saw Molly’s car pull up. She jumped out and rushed to Carter’s side, helping Doctor Burke to revive him.

“We need to get him to the hospital,” I heard one of them say.

They didn’t see me watching their expressions. The fear and desperation to work faster when they were already doing everything in their power said it all. I knew that he wouldn’t make it. It felt like everyone in town was here now, and most were gathered around Carter. Mrs. Gladstone made the sign of a cross in the air over him. No one was fighting the blaze as it consumed the remainder of what used to be our home. The buckets full of water I’d seen some neighbors carrying were being thrown at the side of the house so that the flames wouldn’t jump to Mrs. Gladstone’s farm.

Andrew brought over what looked like a surfboard, except it had holes for handles at the sides. They carefully rolled Carter on top of it and then carried him to Doctor Burke’s van. I ran back to Mackenzie, who was sitting with Marge and my father, the oxygen mask over her face. I felt Nick right behind me.

“Mommy?” Mackenzie’s eyes were full of tears.

“Yes, honey?”

“I wanted to bake a beach cake like the one you showed me in the picture when Daddy baked one for you, and I told Uncle Carter I needed special decorations and I went to the attic and when I came down Uncle Carter left and I smelled smoke but the door was locked.”

He must have thought that Mackenzie had left the house to get the decorations. I took her in my arms and held her close. “It’s okay, baby. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“But our home is gone.” She gently laid her head on my shoulder and pulled in a sniffle.

“You know what, this town is our home.”

Nick crouched beside us, smoothing his hand over her back. “Uncle Carter is a strong man, probably one of the strongest men I know.”

“Where will I sleep now? My room is gone.”

“If you’d like, and if it’s okay with your Mommy, you can stay at our house.”

Mackenzie may not have caught the “our”, but I did. I set Mackenzie down and my father took her hand, saying, “Let’s go get some cupcakes for the firefighters.”

“We should take her into the hospital, just in case,” Marge said.

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

Besides, I wanted to be close to Carter. I needed him to know that we were praying for him.

“You’re hurt.” I touched Nick’s face. He leaned into me, whispering, “I’ll be fine, but if something happens to Carter… I’ll never forgive myself.”

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